Architectural Services

The Atlanta Independent School System (Atlanta Public Schools or APS) is issuing a Request for Pre-Qualifications (RFPQ) for architectural services to establish two vendor pools—Pool A for projects with a Stated Cost Limitation under $5,000,000 and Pool B for projects exceeding $5,000,000. The procurement seeks qualified architectural firms to support the district's capital construction and maintenance programs across approximately 83 school sites, 9 administrative facilities, and 3 stadiums comprising approximately 11 million square feet of buildings. Architectural services encompass seven phases: pre-contractual activities, schematic design, design development, construction documents, bid award, construction administration, and post-construction support. Qualified vendors must be licensed architects with experience in K-12 institutional design, sustainable design practices, CADD and Building Information Modeling capabilities, and demonstrated expertise in new construction, renovations, HVAC systems, athletics facilities, security systems, roofing, arts venues, career education spaces, and food service facilities. Proposals must include comprehensive qualifications documentation, a team members list with discipline and experience details, project experience matrices covering the last five years across multiple facility categories, hourly rate proposals for ten mandatory staff positions (Principal, Director, Project Architect, Project Manager, Project Coordinator, Interior Designer, Project Captain, Technical Staff, Contract Administrator, and Clerical personnel), and three professional references from completed comparable projects. The evaluation process consists of Phase 1 focused on written qualifications and Phase 2 consisting of presentations and interviews at APS's discretion, with contract awards resulting in a one-year term plus up to four additional one-year renewal options. Critical dates include a pre-qualification conference on January 30, 2026, a written questions deadline of February 3, 2026, responses posted by February 6, 2026, and the February 20, 2026, 11:00 a.m. ET deadline for submitting statements of qualification through the Bonfire portal, with subsequent administrative review on February 23, initial shortlist evaluation on February 27, Phase 2 interviews on March 4, and board recommendation by April 6, 2026.

There are no set-asides or incumbent preferences identified in this procurement. However, local preference is available to businesses registered in Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Fulton, or Gwinnett counties or municipalities within the five-county metro area for at least 12 months, qualifying for five additional evaluation points in the RFP process. All responding firms must comply with Georgia House Bill 87 E-Verify requirements, provide evidence of professional liability insurance with comprehensive coverage requirements (general liability of $2,000,000, automobile liability of $1,000,000, and umbrella liability of $1,000,000), submit to criminal background checks with fingerprinting at a cost of $45 plus service fees (paid by the contractor), and demonstrate current workload capacity through attestation. Respondents must complete mandatory administrative compliance documentation including Solicitation Acknowledgment Forms, Offeror Compliance Forms addressing MWBE status, Affirmative Action Plans, Americans with Disabilities Act compliance, debarment status, and vendor registration with APS and the State of Georgia. Architectural fees are non-negotiable as determined by the district and follow a tiered fee structure based on project cost limitations, ranging from 10.50% for projects valued between $0 and $250,000, declining to 5.09% for projects valued between $19,750,000 and $20,000,000. The specific contract value or budget range is not disclosed in the pre-qualification solicitation, as pricing will be set by APS through the provided fee schedule upon contact for individual projects, with selected vendors contacted on a rotational basis from the qualified pools to submit detailed proposals for each specific project assignment.